The NBA draft is a player’s best opportunity to be drafted into the league. Since 1947, the NBA has drafted eligible players, typically from college to the league. Below, we are going to review the history of the number 10 draft pick in the NBA.
What is the NBA Draft?
The NBA draft is an annual ceremony, in which NBA teams, through a lottery system, select eligible players from college and the international stage to join their teams. College players who have completed all four years of their education are automatically eligible for the draft.
However, college players who have not completed all four years of their education, but are one-year removed from high school, must declare their eligibility for the draft. In declaring their eligibility, these underclassmen will effectively give up their remaining college eligibility.
For international players, any player older than 22 years old are automatically eligible for the draft. However, any international player younger than 22 years old must declare their eligibility.
How Does the Lottery System Work?
The NBA draft lottery system was revamped for the 2018 season. Looking at these new rules, the 14 NBA teams which did not make the playoffs will be eligible for the first 14 picks in the draft. Under the new system, the NBA Draft Lottery will ensure that the team with the worst overall record in the league will receive no worse than the fifth overall pick.
Similarly, in the new system, the three NBA teams with the worst regular-season records will each have a 14% chance of winning the lottery and the first overall pick. Once the first four teams with the worst records have been selected, the remaining ten teams will continue to pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
How Does the NBA Draft Work?
Going a bit deeper, and speaking only of the new system, the NBA draft will be televised on ESPN, who will air the results live. Drawings will be conducted to determine the first four picks, with the remaining ten picks being doled out in inverse order of an NBA teams regular-season record.
The actual lottery procedure, however, takes place in a separate room before ESPN announces the results. In this room, a member of the media, an NBA official, and a representative of the accounting firm Ernst & Young are present to ensure no foul play or tampering with the machine.
In this separate room, fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in the lottery machine. The lottery machine used by the NBA is manufactured by Smart Play Company. This company also weighs, measures, and certifies the ping-pong balls before the drawing.
There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating NBA teams.
Once all 14 balls have been placed into the machine, they will be mixed for 20-seconds before the first ball is removed. Similarly, the balls will be mixed for another 10-seconds before the second ball is drawn. Again, the machine will be mixed for another 10-seconds for both the third and fourth picks.
Full History of all 10th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Ziaire Williams | New Orleans Pelicans | Stanford | 2021 | ||
| Jalen Smith | Phoenix Suns | Maryland | 2020 | ||
| Cam Reddish | Atlanta Hawks | Duke | 2019 | ||
| Mikal Bridges | Philadelphia 76ers | Villanova | 2018 | ||
| Zach Collins | Sacramento Kings | Gonzaga | 2017 | ||
| Thon Maker | Milwaukee Bucks | 2016 | |||
| Justise Winslow | Miami Heat | Duke | 2015 | ||
| Elfrid Payton | Philadelphia 76ers | Louisiana-Lafayette | 2014 | ||
| CJ McCollum | Portland Trail Blazers | Lehigh | 2013 | ||
| Austin Rivers | New Orleans Hornets | Duke | 2012 | ||
| Jimmer Fredette | Milwaukee Bucks | Brigham Young | 2011 | ||
| Paul George | Indiana Pacers | Fresno State | 2010 | ||
| Brandon Jennings | Milwaukee Bucks | Pallacanestro Virtus Roma (Italy) | 2009 | ||
| Brook Lopez | New Jersey Nets | Stanford | 2008 | ||
| Spencer Hawes | Sacramento Kings | Washington | 2007 | ||
| Mouhamed Sene | Seattle SuperSonics | VOO Wolves Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium) | 2006 | ||
| Andrew Bynum | Los Angeles Lakers | Saint Joseph | 2005 | ||
| Luke Jackson | Cleveland Cavaliers | Oregon | 2004 | ||
| Jarvis Hayes | Washington Wizards | Georgia | 2003 | ||
| Caron Butler | Miami Heat | Connecticut | 2002 | ||
| Joe Johnson | Boston Celtics | Arkansas | 2001 | ||
| Keyon Dooling | Orlando Magic | Missouri | 2000 | ||
| Jason Terry | Atlanta Hawks | Arizona | 1999 | ||
| Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics | Kansas | 1998 | ||
| Danny Fortson | Milwaukee Bucks | Cincinnati | 1997 | ||
| Erick Dampier | Indiana Pacers | Mississippi State | 1996 | ||
| Kurt Thomas | Miami Heat | Texas Christian | 1995 | ||
| Eddie Jones | Los Angeles Lakers | Temple | 1994 | ||
| Lindsey Hunter | Detroit Pistons | Jackson State | 1993 | ||
| Adam Keefe | Atlanta Hawks | Stanford | 1992 | ||
| Bison Dele | Orlando Magic | Arizona | 1991 | ||
| Rumeal Robinson | Atlanta Hawks | Michigan | 1990 | ||
| Pooh Richardson | Minnesota Timberwolves | California-Los Angeles | 1989 | ||
| Willie Anderson | San Antonio Spurs | Georgia | 1988 | ||
| Horace Grant | Chicago Bulls | Clemson | 1987 | ||
| Johnny Dawkins | San Antonio Spurs | Duke | 1986 | ||
| Ed Pinckney | Phoenix Suns | Villanova | 1985 | ||
| Leon Wood | Philadelphia 76ers | Cal State-Fullerton | 1984 | ||
| Jeff Malone | Washington Bullets | Mississippi State | 1983 | ||
| Keith Edmonson | Atlanta Hawks | Purdue | 1982 | ||
| Albert King | New Jersey Nets | Maryland | 1981 | ||
| Ronnie Lester | Portland Trail Blazers | Iowa | 1980 | ||
| Roylee Hamilton | Detroit Pistons | California-Los Angeles | 1979 | ||
| Butch Lee | Atlanta Hawks | Marquette | 1978 | ||
| Ray Williams | New York Knicks | Minnesota | 1977 | ||
| Ron Lee | Phoenix Suns | Oregon | 1976 | ||
| Bill Robinzine | Kansas City Kings | DePaul | 1975 | ||
| Mike Sojourner | Atlanta Hawks | Utah | 1974 | ||
| John Brown | Atlanta Hawks | Missouri | 1973 | ||
| Paul Westphal | Boston Celtics | Southern California | 1972 | ||
| Clarence Glover | Boston Celtics | Western Kentucky | 1971 | ||
| Greg Howard | Phoenix Suns | New Mexico | 1970 | ||
| Butch Beard | Atlanta Hawks | Louisville | 1969 | ||
| Wilmer Hosket | New York Knicks | Ohio State | 1968 | ||
| Dave Lattin | San Francisco Warriors | Texas-El Paso | 1967 | ||
| Dave Schellhase | Chicago Bulls | Purdue | 1966 | ||
| Dick Van Arsdale | New York Knicks | Indiana | 1965 | ||
| Paul Silas | St. Louis Hawks | Creighton | 1964 | ||
| Gus Johnson | Baltimore Bullets | Idaho | 1963 | ||
| Bob Duffy | St. Louis Hawks | Colgate | 1962 | ||
| Ronald Martin | New York Knicks | St. Bonaventure | 1961 | ||
| Dave Budd | New York Knicks | Wake Forest | 1960 | ||
| Rudy LaRusso | Minneapolis Lakers | Dartmouth | 1959 | ||
| Barney Cable | Detroit Pistons | Bradley | 1958 | ||
| Bob McCoy | Detroit Pistons | Grambling | 1957 | ||
| Dick Hemric | Boston Celtics | Wake Forest | 1955 | ||
| Bob Leonard | Baltimore Bullets | Indiana | 1954 | ||
| Jack Stone | Baltimore Bullets | Kansas State | 1951 | ||
| Kevin O’Shea | Minneapolis Lakers | Notre Dame | 1950 | ||
| Frank Saul | Rochester Royals | Seton Hall | 1949 | ||
| Bobby Wanzer | Rochester Royals | Seton Hall | 1948 | ||
| Larry Killick | Baltimore Bullets | Vermont | 1947 |